F6F3/5 Hellcat Fighter

Hasegawa initially produced their F6F in the 1970s, and re-released it a half dozen times since, and was the only large scale F6F kit until Trumpeter released their F6F in 2007. Despite its age, it is still a beautiful kit, and builds easily into a gorgeous model that captures the look of the F6F well, and costs about 2/3 of the Trumpeter offering. While not as detailed as Trumpeter's kit, the molding is petite and accurate, the engine is a work of art and serves as a great start for superdetailing, and the parts fit is great. This kit would make an excellent first big scale kit for a modeler looking to move up from smaller scale models. Additionally, there are literally hundreds of aftermarket items in resin, photoetched and decals on the market to make a truly stunning model.

The 1/32 scale F6F Hellcat by Hasegawa looked like a rugged U.S. carrier based fighter. Armed with 6x .50 caliber machine guns, the Navy's Grumman Hellcat outgunned its adversary the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. Cockpit armor, bullet-resistant windshield, and self sealing fuel tanks also provided protection from the highly maneuverable Japanese Zero, giving it an overall 19:1 kill ratio. I painted my F6F-5 after LCDR David McCampbell's all blue Minsi III, showing his 19 victories on both sides of his aircraft. The kit sported a detailed Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 engine and pilot which were displayed by removing the cowling and canopy, respectively. A panel on top of each wing revealed the machine guns equipped in the Hellcat. I opted to put the landing gear in the down position. This model felt like an easy build with good detail in the engine, cockpit, and gun compartments. I found the wheel covers, gluing on the gun sights, and lining up the gun wells the most challenging tasks. Ultimately, this kit looked GOOD in its solid appearance, and the parts fit nicely. As an artist, I have used my Hellcat model in composite photos of aerial combat scenes, and the results looked great.

Simple instructions; minor flashing; sprue part numbers difficult to read; builder must determine the order of assembly as the instructions lack steps in assembly.